Jane Yolen writes a fun book about an odd child, an odd problem at a monastry and how a solution to the odd problem was resolved. I have to admit, I enjoyed this review of a quick read of an older elementary children's book.

I am very hopeful that by the end of this school year I can convince my son to read this book for himself. I think he will laugh at the end result of the monks trying to rid themselves of a plague of unicorns. The monks are desperate to make enough money to be able to pay all their bills and to serve their mandate of helping the people around them. But the unicorns are a bit of a problem. All the inhabitants of the monastary get involved trying to rid themselves of the problem.

It's rather funny some of the things that happen, and the book is written well enough that I could just about picture it all in my head. :)

I had to admit, I have to adjust to type of language used in the book. It's written in more of an old English style...which suits the setting of the book nicely. Reading it was like having to immerse myself into a dialect of the English language.

Pictures scattered through the book make the story more real and for elementary students gives them a chance to see if they are really understanding what they are reading. :) (at least it would for my son).

Suggestion: it's a good read, I think both boys and girls will like it.

About the author:Jane has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century. She sets the highest standard for the industry, not only in the meaningful body of work she has created, but also in her support of fellow authors and artists. Her books range from the bestselling How Do Dinosaurs series to the Caldecott winning Owl Moon to popular novels such as The Devil’s Arithmetic, Snow in Summer, and The Young Merlin Trilogy, to award-winning books of poetry such as Grumbles from the Forest, and A Mirror to Nature. In all, she has written over 335 books (she’s lost count), won numerous awards (one even set her good coat on fire), and has been given six honorary doctorates in literature.

Book Details I received a hard cover book, with 186 pages. Author is Jane Yolen. Illustrator: Tom McGrath Age: older elementary (age 9 and 13) approximately Reviewed for BookLook Bloggers.